# Estate Pipes Reclaimed = Diamonds from Coal



## Mister Moo

These two pipes came from ebay with a combined (pre-freight) cost of about $9.00. They were two of the rattiest, nastiest, sorriest looking pipes I ever saw. The Vauen, bottom, actually has a spiders web in the bowl; the Amphora bulldog had so much (stinky) cake in it there was barely room for tobacco - amazing it wasn't cracked; I don't imagine it had ever been reamed. Them stems on both were sorry too. The Amphora was a rich greenish brown and the Vauen was also badly oxidized.

A Sr. Reamer, kosher salt and some Everclear made the bowls clean and sweet. The stems on these cheap pipes were for experimentation. I've settled rubbing gently with steel wool (#0000) to take off the worst of the oxidation/discoloration (or a soak in bleach if there's no nomenclature on the stem)) and a rub with gritty toothpaste. If that doesn't do the trick I have complete success with jewelers rouge and a low speed flannel buffing wheel to finish things off. Olive oil or a little pipe wax finishes them off to a shine.

The wood on these two is muddled and a little dinged up but they're both excellent smoking pipes and I enjoy them regularly. I appreciate them for the recovery they made and, in the end, they make good travel pipes because I don't have anything invested to cry over if one is gifted, broken or left behind.

What have you salvaged?


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## dmkerr

My best save was one of my dad's old pipes. In with the usual drug store pipes was a crusty old beat up Castello business finish. A 6 month old baby could not have stuck a pinky down to the bottom of the bowl. The lucite "spot" was gone. The stem looked like it had parked itself up the ass of a 600 pound gorilla for about 15 years. The outside bowl was dank and dirty.

I had to be extremely careful with the reaming and I did not take it down to the bare wood. It took a few ounces of Everclear to get the years of tar out of the shank and stem. I never did get the outside of the bowl to look like new, thanks to the carved finish. But it looked much better once I was done. It smoked wonderfully!

Then I lost it. :hn


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## DSturg369

Very Nicely Done Moo!!! :tu


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## Mad Hatter

I've gotten several pipes from Ebay this year, most of which were in pretty sorry shape (dust, dirt, mold, old tobacco, thick cake etc) so far as general appearance. Most of these pipes cleaned up nicely and are now the core of my favorite smokers. Sorry no pics but many of them I posted in the finds and wins thread.


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## Phil The Thrill

I've been lucky so far, all of my estate pipes came in excellent condition. My Peterson System was probably only smoked 2 times, my others were cleaned regularly. A bit too much/uneven cake on one, but a bit of sandpaper cleared that up.


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## Big D KC

Well, I thought I would put up my first ever estate pipe restore which is also my first ever ebay purchase.

I got this for just a hare under $25 shipped. It came in actually pretty decent condition. Doesn't seem like it was smoked much, barely any cake at all, and only in the top half of the bowl. I would say it couldn't have been smoked but a couple dozen times tops. And appearently never much more then a half bowl each time!

The damage to it was the worst by far on the bit. Lots of scratches and bite marks, some pretty good oxidization also. The rim was darkened with scorch marks pretty good.

I got the scorch completely out, and did a pretty decent job on the stem, it could still use a better polish job though. I did the Salt/Alcohol on it and got the nastiness out. All in all I think I did pretty well on my first!

This little number also seems to have sparked quite a fancy for this perticular style of pipe in me! I now have been window shopping for other nosewarmer style pipes and found some amazing examples!!

Anyway here it is!

Peterson
"Sports" 3


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## Mister Moo

Big D KC said:


> Well, I thought I would put up my first ever estate pipe restore which is also my first ever ebay purchase.
> 
> I got this for just a hare under $25 shipped... ...I got the scorch completely out, and did a pretty decent job on the stem, it could still use a better polish job though. I did the Salt/Alcohol on it and got the nastiness out. All in all I think I did pretty well on my first!


That's what I'm talking about!. Good fotos - good save - VERY cool pipe.


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## Mad Hatter

Ok Moo, you goaded me into it. These pipes were reclaimed from forgotten yesteryear over the course of this year by me, Mad Hatter (except for the Ben Wade canadian that couldn't pass on a photo-op), all Ebay acquisitions.



Outer ring by pair: Parker/Whitehall, Hardcastle/Hardcastle, Parker/Capitol, Sasieni/London Made, Parker/Parker

Inner ring starting top center: Tanganyika African Meer, Hilson, Aldo Velani, West German ???, Hardcastle, Peterson Irish Second, Mastercraft, Butz-Choquin, Ben Wade, Peterson, London Made, Sasieni, Savinelli, Ben Wade, and Peterson.


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## Mister Moo

Mad Hatter said:


> Ok Moo, you goaded me into it. These pipes were reclaimed from forgotten yesteryear over the course of this year by me, Mad Hatter (except for the Ben Wade canadian...


Go, Joe! Diamonds from coal! Is that Tanganyikan meer described alsewhere at CS? Is it made from the heavier brownish block that seems to characterize the African genre? Was it clean when it came to you or did you have to do anything to it? How is it marked? Do you have any "before" pics of some of the worst? Must admit, I rarely have a "before" pic. I guess I don't want to remember how bad some looked. Particulary, the Amphora in post #1 above - I never took a pic of it but it was the nastiest looking thing I'd ever seen. That can be a good-news/bad news deal, though - the grime covered up all the fills. 

We all know there is no trick to laying down a few C-notes and buying a fantastic pipe, new or clean, from a trusted retailer or pipe maker. In fact, I wish I could give everyone a big fat free coupon for Iwan Ries or Smokers Haven or the S. Bang store, but, no can do. Sometimes we need to scrap and scrounge and come up with a pipe that shines to us thru the grunge.

Personally, I've had a few minor disappointments with badly described ebay pipes (cracked, filled, mismatched stem/pipe) but I've had some great finds, too. The search is slow, the price is low and the clean-up can be a little messy but, all-in-all, it's great to find something that fits your taste and work it back to "nice" once more.

If you are buying some coal, be sure to take a pic before you start scrubbing.


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## Mad Hatter

Mister Moo said:


> Go, Joe! Diamonds from coal! Is that Tanganyikan meer described alsewhere at CS? Is it made from the heavier brownish block that seems to characterize the African genre? Was it clean when it came to you or did you have to do anything to it? How is it marked? Do you have any "before" pics of some of the worst? Must admit, I rarely have a "before" pic. I guess I don't want to remember how bad some looked. Particulary, the Amphora in post #1 above - I never took a pic of it but it was the nastiest looking thing I'd ever seen. That can be a good-news/bad news deal, though - the grime covered up all the fills.
> 
> We all know there is no trick to laying down a few C-notes and buying a fantastic pipe, new or clean, from a trusted retailer or pipe maker. In fact, I wish I could give everyone a big fat free coupon for Iwan Ries or Smokers Haven or the S. Bang store, but, no can do. Sometimes we need to scrap and scrounge and come up with a pipe that shines to us thru the grunge.
> 
> Personally, I've had a few minor disappointments with badly described ebay pipes (cracked, filled, mismatched stem/pipe) but I've had some great finds, too. The search is slow, the price is low and the clean-up can be a little messy but, all-in-all, it's great to find something that fits your taste and work it back to "nice" once more.
> 
> If you are buying some coal, be sure to take a pic before you start scrubbing.


Here's the link to the photo of the Meer that was posted by the seller http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1873674#post1873674
Its 7" long with a 1 1/32" bore. Its made of a heavy dry brownish meer and marked on the bowl as "genuine block meerschaum" and on the stem with an elephant and "tanganyika". This particular one was too dirty except inside the shank and the stem was oxidized not too heavily but it was set in pretty deep. It was mailed to me with another pipe in a manilla envelope big enough to hold a half dozen magazines and was wrapped loosely in tissue paper.

Of the other pipes I only remember two, the Butz-Choquin and the Irish Second, had been cleaned well or refurbed and only one being an absolutely horrendous mess that I should have in retrospect just soaked on a bowl of alcohol. Most had a layer of gunk on the rim and a shank full of tar and some still had tobacco in the bowl. Most of the stems were badly oxidized. A few had imperfections and most had toothmarks.

Probably 75% of these came from sellers who normally don't deal in pipes and were listed with a single photo or a couple poor quality photos (so I can't offer before and afters). Some of them were listed with shipping from $8 - $13. $13 shipping with a $2 bid is still a $15 pipe. (Know what I mean Vern?) For all those pipes (and the Barling I forgot to put in the photo) I have something under $400 and some elbow grease invested and all but a one or two provide a great smoke. On top of that I have to say I really enjoyed the whole process: from shopping to smoking its been fun.


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## Mister Moo

Mad Hatter said:


> ...listed with a single photo or a couple poor quality photos (so I can't offer before and afters). Some of them were listed with shipping from $8 - $13. $13 shipping with a $2 bid is still a $15 pipe....


Except for my Brakner searches this is where I shop, too. It's always a surprise, isn't it?



> ...some elbow grease invested and all but a one or two provide a great smoke. On top of that I have to say I really enjoyed the whole process: from shopping to smoking its been fun.


Yes - it is as much the journey as it is the destination.


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## Mad Hatter

Mister Moo said:


> Yes - it is as much the journey as it is the destination.


Exactly. How many things in today's world offer that?


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## Smarvy

I just won two auctions today that I'm excited about:

Master Craft

Bertram, Stanwell and others

I posted these in the finds and wins thread, but this seemed like an appropriate place to share my excitement too.

I'll definitely post some pics when they come in, and I'll get some good before and afters, though hopefully they won't need too much lovin'.

Finding these diamonds in the rough is a large part of the enjoyment I have with pipes, and you can really get some amazing deals if you work at it.

Mister Moo, what did you mean by Brakner?

Aloha!
Justin


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## Mad Hatter

Richard (tzaddi) should post here. He was doing some refurbs a few months ago.


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## Mister Moo

Smarvy said:


> Mister Moo, what did you mean by Brakner?
> Justin


Peter Braker was an early popularizer of commercially produced Danish pipes is the US market; he is deceased. His pipes are characterized by a peculiar dark "micro-rusticated" finish in briar sold as the Antique series. A Brakner stem usually has a single green dot. Example, also a diamond from coal:


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## morefifemusicanyone

I love estate pipes!

Here are before and afters of a Kaywoodie Drinkless Aged Bruyere 8788 from ~1931-1936.

Before:

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...ac/?action=view&current=Drinkless8733_001.jpg
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...ac/?action=view&current=Drinkless8733_002.jpg
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...ac/?action=view&current=Drinkless8733_003.jpg
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...ac/?action=view&current=Drinkless8733_004.jpg
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...ac/?action=view&current=Drinkless8733_005.jpg

After:

Don't have a before of this one, but I got it and another Westbrook rusticated for 5 bucks total. A little bar keepers friend for the metal, and a light clean of the stem and it was good:

Great finds everyone!


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## Mister Moo

morefifemusicanyone said:


> I love estate pipes!
> 
> Here are before and afters of a Kaywoodie Drinkless Aged Bruyere 8788 from ~1931-1936.
> 
> Don't have a before of this one, but I got it and another Westbrook rusticated for 5 bucks total. A little bar keepers friend for the metal, and a light clean of the stem and it was good:
> 
> Great finds everyone!


Lovely examples of great saves. The Westbrook looks quite special.


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## morefifemusicanyone

Another Westbrook I received in the mail last night. I took better before and after pics to show the process a little more. Enjoy. p

Before:

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...?action=view&current=westbrookrustic-0005.jpg
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...?action=view&current=westbrookrustic-0009.jpg
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...?action=view&current=westbrookrustic-0010.jpg

After:

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...?action=view&current=westbrookrustic-0016.jpg
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...?action=view&current=westbrookrustic-0017.jpg
http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/...?action=view&current=westbrookrustic-0018.jpg

The Supplies:


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## Mister Moo

Note to self - might as well open a pipe shop. It takes as much junk to clean up one pipe as it does 100 of them.


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## drevim

Mister Moo said:


> Note to self - might as well open a pipe shop. It takes as much junk to clean up one pipe as it does 100 of them.


Don't know about opening a shop, but I'm compiling a hell of a list of top quality cleaning folks that I can send my pipes to for the thorough cleanings...

Does anyone want to work for tins? :r


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## morefifemusicanyone

drevim said:


> Don't know about opening a shop, but I'm compiling a hell of a list of top quality cleaning folks that I can send my pipes to for the thorough cleanings...
> 
> Does anyone want to work for tins? :r


[ sign ] Wil Wurk Fore Tinz [ /sign ]

I would totally. p


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## Bent Stem

Good thread & posts! Most of my pipe collection, well at least 90% of it, is old re-conditioned estaters! 


p


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## wharfrathoss

it's nice to see the b4 & after pics. my rotation is all refurbished estates, except for 1 new Sav. some were from pipe shops, & only needed the interior cleaned, but most were from ebay or trades & needed the full treatment. i wish i had b4 pics to show, but i'll have to take some after pics & post those.


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## Smarvy

OK, as promised, I'm starting work on my current batch of estate pipes, and this is the one I'm most excited about, my new Bertram.  I love panel billiards, and this one is going to be easy-peasy. It came to me in excellent shape, I really do think that it's been smoked once, maybe twice if I stretch my imagination. I had no idea what condition it was going to be in when I bought it as the seller only had one pic posted in the auction. I just had to have it though, and I lucked out. There are barely any teeth marks on the stem, and the bowl has the lightest coating of carbon on the walls, no cake and the heel is completely bare wood. It's in excellent shape. I'm just going to clean it out, and polish up the exterior and post those photos. I thought all Bertram's came with a number code to designate the quality, but this one has no stamping other than the Bertram stamp. Maybe they only started doing that when they began employing the WWII vets in their pipe-school?

Aloha,
Justin


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## Smarvy

Well, I didn't think there was going to be a huge difference, and it's even harder to tell in photographs. I think it looks a bit better though. It's hard to improve something that's already in great shape, and just needed a quick spit and polish.

Aloha,
Justin


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## GWN

Here is a whole pile of estate pipes that cost $25 for the lot at a yard sale. Nothing super special, though there are a couple of Kaywoodies and a few Ehrlichs. I have done several of them to learn the ins and outs of the process, but have saved what I think are the best half-dozen for last. Gonna take my time with those over the winter. 
I reamed and salted them to get rid of much of the previous tobacco ghosts. The bowls have a new coat of carnuba wax and have been buffed. The bits have been sterilized and buffed. I didn't get the shine I wanted with the wax I used, so I may strip if off with Murphy's and try something else.

Here's the before and a couple of after pix:


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## morefifemusicanyone

GWN said:


> Here is a whole pile of estate pipes that cost $25 for the lot at a yard sale. Nothing super special, though there are a couple of Kaywoodies and a few Ehrlichs. I have done several of them to learn the ins and outs of the process, but have saved what I think are the best half-dozen for last. Gonna take my time with those over the winter.
> I reamed and salted them to get rid of much of the previous tobacco ghosts. The bowls have a new coat of carnuba wax and have been buffed. The bits have been sterilized and buffed. I didn't get the shine I wanted with the wax I used, so I may strip if off with Murphy's and try something else.
> 
> Here's the before and a couple of after pix:


Nice pipes! What a great buy for 25 bucks. :tu


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## afilter

I love the B4 and afters...I will have to start doing that. I have become way to familiar with the estate section of E-bay and purchased a fes that when I recieved them I was thinking oh no, what have I done. Following the cleaning advice posted here moist have come back to life. Still waiting on the arrival of some wax and oxiclean (funny thing in Afghanistan you cannot just run out and get those items).

Peterson(best find) was in pretty good shape when I bought it:









Brebbia, another good find a bit of alcohol in the bowl and it was ready:









Hardcastle, this was and Oh-oh when it arrived. Had not been cleaned in who knows when. I could not even get my pinky in the bowl. Some reaming and alcohol and a bit of a green scub pad and it is a great smoker. Still waiting on nuetral wax to touch up the stem.










Basket (Unknown maker just state "Italy") almost as bad as the Hardcastle with baccy still in the bowl. Came with the pouch. Found the lighter and the tool in the pouch. Smokes well:










My latest project (savinelli). I am debating if it was a mistake. The bowl was nasty, but has come clean and looks good even without wax. The previous owner obviously smoked this pipe alot and was a bitter. The bottom of the stem is worn through which I did not notice in the ebay pic. Overall it has cleaned up nice and just needs some wax. Wondering if the stem is repairable/replaceable at a reasonable price.

E-bay pic with original box still need and after:









Aaron


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## morefifemusicanyone

afilter said:


> Peterson(best find) was in pretty good shape when I bought it:


Nice pipes mate! This Pete is nice looking. Have you tried any methods to get the oxidization off the stem?

I like using 400 grit and 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper (lightly and with plenty of soapy water) and then a coat of olive or veggie oil and a little buff with a cloth. I think that stem is black underneath all of that oxidization.

Happy smoking! p


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## afilter

morefifemusicanyone said:


> Nice pipes mate! This Pete is nice looking. Have you tried any methods to get the oxidization off the stem?
> 
> I like using 400 grit and 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper (lightly and with plenty of soapy water) and then a coat of olive or veggie oil and a little buff with a cloth. I think that stem is black underneath all of that oxidization.
> 
> Happy smoking! p


Actually, I examined it close and think it is just a very unique colored stem. This was one of the cleanest estates I bought as the seller had it cleaned. There was a tiny bit of oxidation on the bit that did come off. The stem color is the best part IMHO.


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## morefifemusicanyone

afilter said:


> Actually, I examined it close and think it is just a very unique colored stem. This was one of the cleanest estates I bought as the seller had it cleaned. There was a tiny bit of oxidation on the bit that did come off. The stem color is the best part IMHO.


Ahhic. Thats cool, never seen a stem that color. Great looking pipe!


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## Mister Moo

At $21.00 this pipe came in a winner, $0.50 under my max bid. It looked like a stout, slightly clunky interpretation of the usually more subtle, streamlined zulu or yachtsman. I had it in my mind it would be a large bowl on a short pipe - something easy to drop in a pocket and not worry about as catatrophe. 30-minutes of 1500-2000 stem wet sanding and some wax/buffing of briar cleaned it up nicely. The airhole is dead center and right on the bottom of the bowl; stem is umarred, stout, tenon snug in the mortise. All it took was a good cleaning to really let the fills shine.


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## Arizona

I really like that nosewarmer Peterson! Looks fantastic and definitely unique! Good job on the restoration...



Big D KC said:


> Well, I thought I would put up my first ever estate pipe restore which is also my first ever ebay purchase.
> 
> I got this for just a hare under $25 shipped. It came in actually pretty decent condition. Doesn't seem like it was smoked much, barely any cake at all, and only in the top half of the bowl. I would say it couldn't have been smoked but a couple dozen times tops. And appearently never much more then a half bowl each time!
> 
> The damage to it was the worst by far on the bit. Lots of scratches and bite marks, some pretty good oxidization also. The rim was darkened with scorch marks pretty good.
> 
> I got the scorch completely out, and did a pretty decent job on the stem, it could still use a better polish job though. I did the Salt/Alcohol on it and got the nastiness out. All in all I think I did pretty well on my first!
> 
> This little number also seems to have sparked quite a fancy for this perticular style of pipe in me! I now have been window shopping for other nosewarmer style pipes and found some amazing examples!!
> 
> Anyway here it is!
> 
> Peterson
> "Sports" 3


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## Big D KC

Arizona said:


> I really like that nosewarmer Peterson! Looks fantastic and definitely unique! Good job on the restoration...


Thanks! It's a good little smoker too! Doesn't seem to get hot at all which was very suprising to me! This little guy is responsible for a bit of a thing for nosewarmers in me! I recently picked up a savinelli panel billiard nosewarmer as well! I actually missed a couple today on ebay as I had forgotten about them! They went cheap too, hope they go to good homes! I have won a couple of other no namers and they turned out to be complete junk. :| This peterson spoiled me right off the bat, first ebay pipe, first estate pipe, incredible condition, no issues. The next three auctions I won where pretty much junk. Luckily the sav saved me or I was about ready to write ebay off! Ill get a pic up of it over the weekend.


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## Big D KC

Well as promised here are the pics of the "Sports" Panel Billiard Nosewarmer. My understanding is this is an offbrand of savinelli. Has a flying bird logo on the stem. This one actually came already restored! All I did was clean on the bit a little bit, and then sanitized it. No cake built at all, it had been smoked but just enought to darken the bowl a little bit! Pretty much in new condition.

I am actually smoking it right at the moment for the first time. It gots alot hotter then the Pete does, and does gurgle a little bit. Hopefully after it gets broken in it will smoke a bit better, this one cost me a few dollars more then the pete also, believe it was $31 and some change..


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## Mad Hatter

Nice looking pipes guys. This really was a great idea for a thread. I've got a jumbo sasieni I'll get around to posting sometime this week. Waiting on my battery charger and some motivation at the moment.


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## Big D KC

Well I was bored a little bit, nothing much going on on the web so I decided to do some work on another little mini bulldog pipe I got on ebay. No name just "Imported Briar". I had already cleaned and polished the bit, and ran it through a S/A treatment (a couple times!)

This one is TINY! I got it and another one in a combo auction on ebay, total for both after shipping was $6.01! Basically 3 bucks for this little guy. The second one was a regular sized billiard and it was total junk! Think I will use it to practice the retort on..

Anyway here is a colliage of before working on it, as you can see very rough on the finish!










And this is after working the bowl over with 600 grit, then 800 grit sandpaper! Quite a few nicks, pits, and one fill on the bottom of the shank. But not horrible over all!










And here it is put together, now you can see the size were talking about here! Very cool! Not real sure what else to do to it finish wise though..


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## morefifemusicanyone

Big D KC said:


> Well I was bored a little bit, nothing much going on on the web so I decided to do some work on another little mini bulldog pipe I got on ebay. No name just "Imported Briar". I had already cleaned and polished the bit, and ran it through a S/A treatment (a couple times!)
> 
> This one is TINY! I got it and another one in a combo auction on ebay, total for both after shipping was $6.01! Basically 3 bucks for this little guy. The second one was a regular sized billiard and it was total junk! Think I will use it to practice the retort on..
> 
> Anyway here is a colliage of before working on it, as you can see very rough on the finish!
> 
> And this is after working the bowl over with 600 grit, then 800 grit sandpaper! Quite a few nicks, pits, and one fill on the bottom of the shank. But not horrible over all!
> 
> And here it is put together, now you can see the size were talking about here! Very cool! Not real sure what else to do to it finish wise though..


I would sand it down and leave it natural, I think it looks pretty neat like that. Otherwise, I have read leather dye applied with a pipe cleaner provides decent budget results with refinishing.

Nice job!


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## Dzrtrat

This was delivered Friday and I got it cleaned up last night and today. It's an '87 Peterson Sherlock Holmes "Baskerville" I'm quite pleased with this under 50 dollar purchase.


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## drastic_quench

Inspiring work. What did you use on the rim (besides elbow grease)?


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## Dzrtrat

drastic_quench said:


> Inspiring work. What did you use on the rim (besides elbow grease)?


2000 grit sandpaper wet lying flat on a counter and a light hand being careful not to top the bowl. You sweat a little during this, its easy to screw it up.


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## Smarvy

If the rim isn't actually burnt wood, a microfiber cloth and saliva work amazingly well to remove charring and carbon. It's not as nerve-wracking as using abrasives either. I'll actually rub the microfiber cloth over the rim using my fingernail to give it an edge, and it's very effective, without the risk on unintentional topping.

That is a fantastic looking Peterson Dzrtrat, you got a great looking pipe for under $50, I'm jealous.



Dzrtrat said:


> 2000 grit sandpaper wet lying flat on a counter and a light hand being careful not to top the bowl. You sweat a little during this, its easy to screw it up.


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## Mister Moo

Dzrtrat said:


> This was delivered Friday and I got it cleaned up last night and today. It's an '87 Peterson Sherlock Holmes "Baskerville" I'm quite pleased with this under 50 dollar purchase.
> 
> http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/Dzrtrat/?action=view&current=IMG_3844-1.jpg
> http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/Dzrtrat/?action=view&current=IMG_3841-1.jpghttp://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/Dzrtrat/?action=view&current=IMG_3843-1.jpghttp://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/Dzrtrat/?action=view&current=IMG_3842-1.jpg
> http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/Dzrtrat/?action=view&current=IMG_3862.jpg
> http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/Dzrtrat/?action=view&current=IMG_3850-1.jpghttp://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/Dzrtrat/?action=view&current=IMG_3852-1.jpghttp://s279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/Dzrtrat/?action=view&current=IMG_3851-1.jpg


Now THAT's what I'm talking about. Nice recovery.


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## Smarvy

Aloha my friends and mahalo for your kokua with all the photos I'm about to subject you to.

I've been working on this Bertram Rhodesian for a couple of weeks now, on and off, and it's turned out rather nicely I think. There was some charring on the bowl rim, and some crud inside, but I reamed the bowl, sanded the bowl down to wood and scrubbed the shank out, did a few blasts with the retort, and a S/A treatment for good measure, and it's pretty as can be. There's some beautiful birdseye all along the left side of the bowl. There was some green marking on the side (paint? crayon?) that came off with some scrubbing with the microfiber cloth, along with whatever wax was left on the bowl. I polished the bit using Walker Briar Works stem cleaner, and then worked my way up from 400 grit paper through 12,000 grit, before putting a coat of Paragon wax on with a microfiber cloth. It's shiny, and I love it. This is going to be a Va/Per pipe exclusively, and I'm about to smoke my first bowl (Escudo) in it.

I believe whoever owned this pipe before me read Rick Newcombe's book and tried to bore out the airhole and the stem in the pipe; they seemed to do a good job with the wood, but royally screwed up the vulcanite. There's a big piece missing from the button, and it's all jag inside, but I'm just going to slap a rubber softy bit on it and start smoking! So, here are the pics:

*Before:*



*After:*









*The 13 steps to a shiny stem:*



I hope you enjoyed my picture show as much as I enjoyed restoring this baby, and half as much as I'm going to enjoy smoking it!

Aloha,
Justin


----------



## Dzrtrat

Nice Job Justin, very well done.:tu


----------



## Smarvy

Dzrtrat said:


> Nice Job Justin, very well done.:tu


Thanks! All that sanding gives me something to do while I sit outside and enjoy my other pipes.


----------



## Mister Moo

Smarvy said:


> ... I sit outside and enjoy my other pipes.


Creep. 

(Nice job, J.)


----------



## Big D KC

Very nice work Justin! What's that tub of "stem deoxidizer" I see sitting there? Can't tell what exactly it is/who makes it. 

And where do you guys get the really REALLY fine grains of sand paper??


----------



## Mister Moo

Big D KC said:


> ...And where do you guys get the really REALLY fine grains of sand paper??


Auto parts stores.


----------



## Smarvy

Big D KC said:


> Very nice work Justin! What's that tub of "stem deoxidizer" I see sitting there? Can't tell what exactly it is/who makes it.
> 
> And where do you guys get the really REALLY fine grains of sand paper??


The tub of stuff is "Stem Deoxidizer/Cleaner" from Walker Briar Works. I don't know what to think about it yet. I've only used it on two or three pipes, none of which were that badly oxidized. It worked pretty good, but to really get it to shine, I have to use the fine grit abrasives. I got them on eBay as it was the cheapest and easiest place to find them. They are Micro-Mesh brand, and they have a cloth backing, which I really like. It cushions the abrasive, and it's very durable.  The strips I got should last for a long time without replacing. In the photo, those strips are what I cut off, and are about a 1/6th of the full piece. You can probably find fine grit papers in auto-parts stores where you are; the only things they sell in stores here is rice and spam, everything else you have to order from off-island.

I need to try the stem deoxidizer on a really nasty stem covered in green, then I can give you a better report on how well it works.

Aloha,
Justin


----------



## morefifemusicanyone

Big D KC said:


> Very nice work Justin! What's that tub of "stem deoxidizer" I see sitting there? Can't tell what exactly it is/who makes it.
> 
> And where do you guys get the really REALLY fine grains of sand paper??


Walmart carries up to 2000 grit. The rest are best found in auto stores.


----------



## Mister Moo

For CS Estate Reclaimers - Here is The Real Nitty Gritty on Grit, Polishing and Buffing: http://www.aspipes.org/faq/faq/ASP_Buffing_Polishing_FAQ.pdf

This guy wrote a masterwork. Read, learn, polish.


----------



## Big D KC

Great article Mr Moo! I appreciate the link. I saved it to my hard drive for future refference!

Might have to pick up a bench lathe in the near future!


----------



## Mister Moo

Big D KC said:


> Great article Mr Moo! I appreciate the link. I saved it to my hard drive for future refference!
> 
> Might have to pick up a bench lathe in the near future!


The jewelers variable speed wheel is pretty sweet for pipes (I guess) but also very pricey and purpose built. It isn't a bench grinder, that's for sure.

I need to sharpen mower blades and buff out stuff that won't fly on a jewelers wheel; I keep a couple of flannel wheels for a variable speed commercial buffer/grinder with a low speed of 1750rpm. Like the man said in the FAQ, just let the flailing threads do the job slowly - no pressing. Even though I've never taken off nomenclature or rounded off vulcanite edges (intentionally) with this machine, I wouldn't use it on anything with real value in the details. I think the 700-800rpm range would be perfect for polished stems and wood - I just go slow, hold on tightly and try not to hiccup.


----------



## commonsenseman

I just noticed that my Dr. Grabow Duke has a crack in it. I was wondering if you all think this will affect performance, and if so if there's anything I can do to repair it. I have some pics I took, hopefully they will help!


----------



## Mister Moo

One of the nastiest "estate" pipes I ever bought. After about 90-minutes it was looking very decent. After two hours it was even smoking pretty good.

Diamond from coal, this Brakner 1200.


----------



## Mad Hatter

commonsenseman said:


> I just noticed that my Dr. Grabow Duke has a crack in it. I was wondering if you all think this will affect performance, and if so if there's anything I can do to repair it. I have some pics I took, hopefully they will help!


Its a little late but hey, you can use superglue to fix that crack. Squeeze it into the crack or squeeze it on the crack and blow it in. Superglue will dry white but if you want to get fancy you can buy black superglue.

Mr Moo - Nice work. Looks like a completely different pipe :humble:


----------



## dmkerr

Mad Hatter said:


> Mr Moo - Nice work. Looks like a completely different pipe


Yeah, especially the stem! I thought it was an amber stem or at least yellow acrylic!

Nice work, Moo! Glad to see its previous owner didn't smoke the sh*t completely out of it!


----------



## Mister Moo

dmkerr said:


> Yeah, especially the stem! I thought it was an amber stem or at least yellow acrylic!
> 
> Nice work, Moo! Glad to see its previous owner didn't smoke the sh*t completely out of it!


Thanks gents. I gave up about a bucket of spit to clean the rim but, oddly enough, the chamber had a perfect dime thick cake. It has been smoked but not chewed.


----------



## DubintheDam

Mister Moo said:


> Thanks gents. I gave up about a bucket of spit to clean the rim but, oddly enough, the chamber had a perfect dime thick cake. It has been smoked but not chewed.


Nice purchase...lovely shape...a Dublin me thinks...lovely brown rim...and excellent stem cleaning....nice.


----------



## Mister Moo

DubintheDam said:


> Nice purchase...lovely shape...a Dublin me thinks...lovely brown rim...and excellent stem cleaning....nice.


After rim degrungification, I sanded out just enough to free the orange of the briar; it has some minor scratches and dents that remain but later for them.


----------



## Dylan Cerling

That's a nice looking pipe!


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## Mad Hatter

This is a little off topic in that these pipes aren't estates. For over a year I've been planning on converting these three Nording freehands into churchwardens and after getting the rough stems last week I sat down yesterday with my drill, vicegrips and a few other tools and materials and made the stems. It took about 2 hours total and aside from skipping from low grit sandpaper to high grit they turned out pretty well.


----------



## morefifemusicanyone

Mad Hatter said:


> This is a little off topic in that these pipes aren't estates. For over a year I've been planning on converting these three Nording freehands into churchwardens and after getting the rough stems last week I sat down yesterday with my drill, vicegrips and a few other tools and materials and made the stems. It took about 2 hours total and aside from skipping from low grit sandpaper to high grit they turned out pretty well.


Nice!


----------



## DeadFrog

Those look really cool, nice work!


----------



## Mister Moo

I'm impressed with your craftsmanship, M'atter. You have to be pleased with that work.


----------



## 8ball

This is a cool post. I just picked up 7 estates off of Craigs list. I'll have to post some pic's as I work on my skills.


----------



## Mad Hatter

My first attempt took three hours and ended with a broken stem :mad2: After that I discovered Vice-grips make the perfect combination of lathe tool and measuring device to make sure those tenons are just right. A needle file chucked in the drill and ran down the stem also makes a good poor man's lathe for turning and sanding stems

:humble:


----------



## 8ball

I was lucky enough to score 7 lower priced briars on Craig's list for practice, and here is a pic of my first ever restore, a Dr Plums flat grip. Unfortunately, I forgot to take the before pictures, but the top of the bowl was badly charred, the inside had some cobwebs in it, and the stem was really dull, dirty, and oxidized. The pipe looked like it was sitting in an attic or garage for quite a long time. I'm probably going to shine it up a bit more, but it appears ready to be smoked. My rotary seemed to work perfect for sanding and polishing.


----------



## David M

Wow.
Just WOW!

Would imagine its like any baby pet project.
Little bit of love, sweat & tears - comes out looking clean on the other end & that oh so good feeling.

Challenging as well I imagine.
That orange you brought out on the rim Moo - thats pretty crazy.
A lot of Diamonds as you say in all that Coal.


----------



## Mister Moo

David M said:


> ...the [orange] rim Moo - thats pretty crazy...


It was a kick to see that orange briar color come out so boldly; the photo reveals it about as it was. I say "was" because, a dozen orf more smokes later things are going muted. I need to sand the last of the scratches out and wax that rim this weekend. Thx for the reminder.


----------



## Mad Hatter

I got this pipe about a year ago. Its a Hardcastle and it had a hard life to say the least. Since I got it its been sitting alternately on the shelf and on the dash of my truck waiting for me to decide what to do with it. As I said, it was in horrible shape when I got it with half the button either chewed or broken off, a cracked shank and a rim that had huge chunks missing on the inside from pocket knife reaming and the outside beat all to hell for about the upper 3/8" where the previous owner had used a chunk of concrete for a cork knocker.

One night I finally decided to give it the old "Heave Ho" but thought before I tossed it I'd get a little practice grinding down the rim (topping the bowl). That went pretty smoothly



and there was enough bowl left that maybe I wouldn't have to toss it afterall. To make a long story short I sanded it down and added a little colr to the sunbleached wood with some linseed oil. I raised the heal with a little putty and redrilled the airway and then made a new stem for it. Finally I added a nickel band to the shank to fix the crack. It was my first attempt at banding so I chose one from my assortment that was less than perfect so when I messed it up it'd be no sweat tossing it away except it went on just fine and so it'll have to stay there. And lo and behold (and with a noticable absence of wax) its looking like a real pipe again. I wish to God I'd taken a before photo


----------



## Mad Hatter

This billiard, to me, has always cried out for a band to set off the stem/shank union and tonight it got one in my second attempt at banding which went off w/o a hitch


----------



## Alpedhuez55

This was a nasty old Sasani 4 dot that needed a lot of clean up. Very thick coating of cake that I reamed out to just about bare wood. The markings are worn off and you can barely make them out, but the pipe came clean and has not smell at all after a lot of cotton balls, q-tips and sweat.










Nice little Kriswell Golden Clipper I got on Ebay. Also needed a pretty thorough cleaning and had a petrified bowl of something in it when I got it. It is now a great smoker that I use for Virginians.










Nice rusticated Jobey that only required a minor cleaning, but was very cheap.



















These two pics are several of basket pipes I got cheap from a old Tobacco store that was bought by an Indian Family. Though they were unsmoked, they were left in a draws for many years. I bought one Kaywoodie that had went out of production in the 60s. They arrived with stems that were pretty oxidized and all needed a good cleaning. But some of them are great smokers, especially that stubby little Author on the bottom which has some very nice grain.


----------



## Mr.Lordi

How do you guys get the stems black without resorting to the bleach treatment? because I tried the magic eraser and it did crap to my stems.


----------



## Alpedhuez55

Mr.Lordi said:


> How do you guys get the stems black without resorting to the bleach treatment? because I tried the magic eraser and it did crap to my stems.


ScottM wrote some greats stuff in the FAQ Sticky:

http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...ipe-faq-101-getting-started-2.html#post266717

After the OxyClean / Magic Eraser, I have had good luck with Brebbia Stem Polish and a soft cloth. Though a low speed bench bufffer would be the best option for a like new stem.


----------



## Mr.Lordi

Alpedhuez55 said:


> ScottM wrote some greats stuff in the FAQ Sticky:
> 
> http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/v...ipe-faq-101-getting-started-2.html#post266717
> 
> After the OxyClean / Magic Eraser, I have had good luck with Brebbia Stem Polish and a soft cloth. Though a low speed bench bufffer would be the best option for a like new stem.


Its been a while since I've given that a read. Almost forgotten about it. Thanks!


----------



## David M

Mad Hatter said:


> This billiard, to me, has always cried out for a band to set off the stem/shank union and tonight it got one in my second attempt at banding which went off w/o a hitch


Nice banding job Joe. Looks pretty darn good to me.
And that other pipe, I cant imagine what it was like removing so much of the bowl on that one.

Those 4 blue Sasieni dots are hypnotizing.


----------



## Mad Hatter

Mr.Lordi said:


> How do you guys get the stems black without resorting to the bleach treatment? because I tried the magic eraser and it did crap to my stems.


Sandpaper


----------



## Mad Hatter

David M said:


> Nice banding job Joe. Looks pretty darn good to me.
> And that other pipe, I cant imagine what it was like removing so much of the bowl on that one.
> 
> Those 4 blue Sasieni dots are hypnotizing.


It was really simple and actually took less than a minute to get it on the shank. First I rubbed the area to be banded with wax and then put the bowl in the freezer for an hour or so. Then I put the band in boiling water for a minute or so, took it out and sat it on the counter and shoved shoved the shank down into it. Its on there solid as a rock. I bought the bands, 20 of them, which range from 12.5mm to 25mm from pipemakersemporium for about $50


----------



## David M

Mad Hatter said:


> It was really simple and actually took less than a minute to get it on the shank. First I rubbed the area to be banded with wax and then put the bowl in the freezer for an hour or so. Then I put the band in boiling water for a minute or so, took it out and sat it on the counter and shoved shoved the shank down into it. Its on there solid as a rock. I bought the bands, 20 of them, which range from 12.5mm to 25mm from pipemakersemporium for about $50


Brute force?
Did it do some major damage to the shank? Skuff marks and such that you just sanded away after?
I imagine the less Arnold method is to simply wrap it around and use some tool to solder/connect the metal.


----------



## David M

There's no doubt that seeing you guys work your magic in this thread inspired me to go out and do the same.
Another thing that was kind of pushing me forward was the desire to learn how to do this. Learn how to clean, restore, baby, take care of, replenish, rehydrate etc...etc....my own pipes and rely less on outside people.

I actually worked on a total of 4 pipes but since I am still working on 2 of them, all you see here is the final result of two.

We begin with the condition I received them in.
These were actually donated to me by a well known retailer whom I am spending a lot of time with now. I asked if he could sell me a few and he just gave them to me. He picked the Worst of the Worst that he had. And trust me, has has A LOT!

These guy were the dirtiest of the dirty.
Very thick layers of cake in the bowl.
Gobs of decades old dust and dirt and grime and what not all over the pipe.
Each stem full of nasty oxidization.
Toothmarks galore all over the bit.
Dings & scratches that would make an OCD itchy person jealous.
Absolutely ZERO draw with the cake covering up any hope of air going through.
Dirty stems is an understatement.

Taking the Before & After pictures to new heights, yes, I set the scene with a few props. I give you the BEFORE's.....

Pipe Number One - A Captain Brownie or CB


By DMDM

-and-

Pipe Number Two - A Weber


By DMDM


----------



## David M

I started documenting a little of the process. The plan was to do this at every single stage of work. Unfortunately I stopped short of doing it all because I figured that you have all seen each stage so many already, you probably dont need to see it again. Before I came to that conclusion though, I was able to snap a few.

Step 1
Remove stem from shank and throw into a bowl of 100% Pure Unrefined Crystal Clean High Grade Uncut Safeway Purchased Clorox!
Leave stems in Mixture for at least 1 hour. I left them in there for 24 hours. There is no time limit you have to follow but at a certain point, the Clorox stops being effective.


By DMDM

Picture 2 of Step 1
This is what the bowl looked like after 24 hours. Very dark and full of goo.


By DMDM

Step 2
Look at bowls before you begin to work on them. Do this for 3 hours. Just look at them. See if you start seeing things inside the bowl after minute 30 rolls around. Continue to stare into the bowl.

Here is a picture of the bowls before I started working on them. Nasty little suckers aren't they.


By DMDM

Then you ream out any cake inside the bowl. Ream, ream, ream away and scrape at that cake and get rid of as much as possible. Try not to scrape the bowl but if you do scrape it, its not the end of the world.

Step 3
Plug the shank with a paper towel and load the bowl with non-iodized salt. Use an eye-dropper to put high proof alcohol inside. Try and keep the alcohol inside the bowl. Coat the salt well. Leave standing for at least 24 hours, which is what I did. The salt will turn very very dark.

Step 4
Clean out the bowl, make some margaritas with the salt you remove, rinse the bowl clean. Ream some more. Ream, ream, ream.

Step 5
Take the stems out of the Clorox. Thoroughly rinse them with water. 
Start cleaning inside the stems and shanks with heavy bristles until they come clean. 
This is a mid-cleaning stream picture of what your bristles will look like.


By DMDM

Step 6
Connect shank and stem. This step could have happend before Step 5.
Check the draw on the pipe. If no draw exists, its likely because the inside of the stem is clogged. Take a very thin screw driver and screw into the stem until you get through the cake and inside the bowl. Go back and forth as much as needed to dislodge as much of the cake as possible.

Step 7
Take a shaving blade, the kind you use to chop particles to a find fine sand and run it along the top of the bowl, dislodging the cake and gunk sitting on top of it. Run the blade across the top and do not lift the blade off the bowl. Keep blade vertical, thin part of blade standing up on bowl, and run it back and forth as needed. Take as much of the cake off as possible before you move to step 8. Keep the wheels or cloth in step 8 free from nasty crud.

Step 8
Polish that sucker.
Start off using gritty compounds on a wheel or a piece of cloth.
Then move to a different wheel or piece of cloth to polish using carnuba wax. Make sure to remove all the gritty compounds placed on pipe during the first run and make sure the pipe is so shiny that you can see your face in it. If using a wheel, get a lesson before hand or else you may break the pipe and or your face. (Pipe flew out of my hand so fast, it was probably flying at 40 mph.) You gotta learn those wheels. I used the one at my local B&M.

Step 9
Plug up shank. Put some alcohol in. Light a match and ignite alcohol.
Let it burn out. It will only take a few seconds.

Step 10
Smile and pat yourself on the back. You just brought a pipe back to life.

Here are the After Pictures...

Here are both pipes, enjoying their second chance, shown in all their glory, surrounded by yummy baccy and sitting on a bed of Golden Extra.

The Captain Brownie


By DMDM

-and-

The Weber


By DMDM


----------



## Mad Hatter

David M said:


> Brute force?
> Did it do some major damage to the shank? Skuff marks and such that you just sanded away after?
> I imagine the less Arnold method is to simply wrap it around and use some tool to solder/connect the metal.


You been smoking a pipe for what? A month or two? Master pipe smoker this month and master pipe crafter by the end of July perhaps?

Brute force? No. Common sense? Yes. Chilling the briar causes contraction. Heating the band causes expansion. Wax melting when it comes in contact with the hot band makes lubrication which aside from the obvious, prevents damage to the briar surface. In the end the briar expands, the nickel contracts and you have a bond that is most likely permanent.


----------



## David M

Mad Hatter said:


> You been smoking a pipe for what? A month or two? Master pipe smoker this month and master pipe crafter by the end of July perhaps?
> 
> Brute force? No. Common sense? Yes. Chilling the briar causes contraction. Heating the band causes expansion. Wax melting when it comes in contact with the hot band makes lubrication which aside from the obvious, prevents damage to the briar surface. In the end the briar expands, the nickel contracts and you have a bond that is most likely permanent.


90 days Joe. Not 30 or 60. NINETY!!!! 
Hey, I love it.

Now I get the whole freezer, wax, boil bit you mentioned.
So it was pre-tested to ensure a tight fit. 
Gotcha!
Smart, very smart.


----------



## David M

ALLLLLLLLLLrightie then.
Round 2 didn't go as well as planned.
You'll notice in the below, before & after pictures for pipe # 3, the stem, with its clear acrylic luster showing off years upon years of ingrained (as one member put it) molecular level absorption of tar, simply would not come out. I did not go as far as one members suggestion of using hydrochloric acid, but I did pretty much everything else. The stem itself is 99% clear and free and zero obstruction exists. But the color and brown black hole like qualities of it could not be eliminated. I Have Failed Myself.

Pipe # 3 Before's



-and-



After all the rub-a-dub-and-scrub-scrub-scrub we have...



-and-

http://img44.imageshack.us/i/pipe3bc2.jpg/

You guys like the added glass of Chivas in there??

And last but certainly not least, pipe # 4. Pretty intense nastiness and general mass stem oxidization. Notice the difference between the before & after's??? I will keep silent and see if someone wants to wager a guess.

El Dirty Before Clean



-and-



Rubber Ducky song and.....Voila!



-and-


----------



## Mister Moo

David M said:


> ALLLLLLLLLLrightie then.
> 
> After all the rub-a-dub-and-scrub-scrub-scrub we have...
> 
> 
> 
> -and-
> 
> http://img44.imageshack.us/i/pipe3bc2.jpg/


Clear and very translucent stems can seem like a good idea until you look at them after a weeks use. if you like how the pipe smokes (it already looks great!) a custom vulcanite or lucite stem is only a few bux.


----------



## Joshcertain

wow this is awesome work, I'm gonna go pick up some estates and give this a try. I love wood work, so this could be very fun


----------



## Crazycoonass

The Savinelli Strait grain I bought came in today and I have imediatly began working on it...


----------



## Crazycoonass

Work in progress...

































I didnt show it but while I was doing this I went ahead and put the stem in some bleach and will be sanding and polishing it later, thankfully there wernt any metal bits or markings on it to complicate things.


----------



## Crazycoonass

The finished product...









She came out wonderfully, and after smoking out of it several times has quickly become my favorite.


----------



## RJpuffs

Nice cleanup!


----------



## Crazycoonass

I love this pipe, it smokes smooth and has a huge bowl, though its feels strangly light. Lol this is one of my day off pipes, light... smoke for an hour... put it down rinse and repeat later on.


----------



## Mad Hatter

Smarvy said:


> The tub of stuff is "Stem Deoxidizer/Cleaner" from Walker Briar Works. I don't know what to think about it yet. I've only used it on two or three pipes, none of which were that badly oxidized. It worked pretty good, but to really get it to shine, I have to use the fine grit abrasives. I got them on eBay as it was the cheapest and easiest place to find them. They are Micro-Mesh brand, and they have a cloth backing, which I really like. It cushions the abrasive, and it's very durable. The strips I got should last for a long time without replacing. In the photo, those strips are what I cut off, and are about a 1/6th of the full piece. You can probably find fine grit papers in auto-parts stores where you are; the only things they sell in stores here is rice and spam, everything else you have to order from off-island.
> 
> I need to try the stem deoxidizer on a really nasty stem covered in green, then I can give you a better report on how well it works.
> 
> Aloha,
> Justin


Bumping an old post here:

IMO the stem polish from Walker Briar Works is some bad ass stuff 'cause it don't take shit off o' nuthin'. Sure puts a nice spit shine on your oxidation though. Also the Micro-mesh is supposedly not quite what its cracked up to be. One member on the pipe makers forum said micromesh#/3 gives you the approximate US equivalent, ie - 3600=1200 grit automotive sandpaper


----------



## Mister Moo

Mad Hatter said:


> Bumping an old post here:
> 
> IMO the stem polish from Walker Briar Works is some bad ass stuff 'cause it don't take shit off o' nuthin'. Sure puts a nice spit shine on your oxidation though. Also the Micro-mesh is supposedly not quite what its cracked up to be. One member on the pipe makers forum said micromesh#/3 gives you the approximate US equivalent, ie - 3600=1200 grit automotive sandpaper


I have good luck with MicroMesh on bad oxyidation starting with 3600 and working through finer grades (6000, 8000, 12,000) to finish with an olive oil wipe. Consider MicroMesh abrasive, unlike automotive papers, is fixed in a thin layer of compressible foam and backed with cloth. It has "give" or "loft" that you may not experience with other products.

I'll send you some strips for a hands-on if you want to have a go.


----------



## Mad Hatter

Mister Moo said:


> I have good luck with MicroMesh on bad oxyidation starting with 3600 and working through finer grades (6000, 8000, 12,000) to finish with an olive oil wipe. Consider MicroMesh abrasive, unlike automotive papers, is fixed in a thin layer of compressible foam and backed with cloth. It has "give" or "loft" that you may not experience with other products.
> 
> I'll send you some strips for a hands-on if you want to have a go.


Sure I wouldn't mind giving it a try. Another thing people may not realize is that wet/dry sandpaper works best when wet because vulcanite is lifted away as its removed. I still prefer Mother's aluminum polish. My buffers have changed my entire outlook on polishing stems. A little red tripoli followed by Mother's then a touch of carnuba and its a done deal in under 5 minutes. Oxidized stems don't even know what hit them :heh:


----------



## Vrbas

david m said:


> http://img44.imageshack.us/i/pipe3bc2.jpg/
> 
> you guys like the added glass of chivas in there??
> 
> And last but certainly not least, pipe # 4. Pretty intense nastiness and general mass stem oxidization. Notice the difference between the before & after's??? I will keep silent and see if someone wants to wager a guess.
> 
> El dirty before clean


Where did you find that pipe? I like the shape.


----------



## Mister Moo

Here's another Brakner, a cherrywood I've been hoping to find. Cleanup took 90 minutes with reaming, salt/Everclear, spit-cleaning the briar, MircoMesh'ing the vulcanite to a black gloss and then a wipe with olive oil.


----------



## Nurse_Maduro

Nice work, Dan.

This is a great thread; thanks for bumping it. Lots of useful tips here...not to mention the great pipe p0rn!


----------



## Mister Moo

A graceful Orlik prince off ebay at $21. All it needed was some soap and water, a few hours of Everclear to get an old floral ghost (ugh) and a little wax; the vulcanite was slightly chewed but not enough to bother sanding. This 1" deep pipe smokes rolled and folded flakes nicely. I am a sucker for a slender fishtail bit and, especially, a prince with nice geometry. This pipe cleaned up easily.

The stinger is weird - never saw one like it. It passes a pipecleaner and, I guess, is intended to create a low spot so moisture can collect and gurgle but not get through the stem - I dunno. Anyone know better?


----------



## David M

Vrbas said:


> Where did you find that pipe? I like the shape.


Pardon the seriously late reply.
Sent you a PM. oke:


----------



## Unoriginal Username

NICE Reclaim!!

I also like to work on old nasty pipes. I often hit antique stores and every once and a while find something different to work on. 

I have found an oom paul, kaywoodie chinrester, and some other garbage pipes that i use to test out procedures. It has given me some confidence to look for nicer estates to polish back to "new"


----------



## Mister Moo

A Brakner arrives at a fair price, filthy, but in otherwise good condition. It's a whopper at over 6.5" long - not made to clench. The stem cleaned up to vulcanite perfection, mortise and tenon were made for each other and the chamber was great. Need to get the stain out of the rim - it's tarred, not charred. Not sure if sanding or bleaching is the best option. Anyone? Bueller?


----------



## Jack Straw

I did some light sanding with micromesh on the flat rim of a Stanwell, it turned out well. Just be careful around the edges, and be prepared to possibly face a lighter stain. Is that your second Brackner? Looks nice.


----------



## Mister Moo

Jack Straw said:


> ...Is that your second Brackner?


(grits teeth) 14th.

(So, Straws, I once sanded a similar flat rim and it worked out as you said - a bit lighter and brighter. Unless anyone has big words about bleaching briar and refinishing I'll start sanding this weekend.)


----------



## Jack Straw

Holy cow (snicker) that's a lot of brackners! I love their rustication.


----------



## Arctic Fire

The first one isnt a pipe, but thought id share. I couldnt get the buffer to the corners of some areas on the pipe rack. You live you learn.
I took it apart to sand down the parts. It was pretty flimsy in the first place so disassembling wasnt too bad. One of the spindles broke so i drilled it out and inserted a dowel. 

Before


After


----------



## Jack Straw

Very nice! Some nice pipes too.


----------



## Mister Moo

Nice work - nice to do it yourself and kick back and look at the improvement. Sometimes I do such a crappy job cleaning up a pipe I get to kick back three or four times to look for improvement.


----------



## SmoknTaz

Nice rack and the pipes blow mine out of the water.


----------



## Arctic Fire

It really was fun refurbishing the pipe and the pipe rack. I enjoy working with my hands so it was a blast. Next time ill do before and after pics of refurbished estate pipes. The Ben Wade was in dire need of some TLC but you cant tell since i did such an excellent job =D


----------



## mrsmitty

Ben Wade Golden Walnut Before & After Photos... Three hours of restoration.

*BEFORE*

*AFTER*


----------



## dukeofbluz

Great work MrSmitty! I know that was a lot of work

Duke


----------



## dukeofbluz

Heres a couple Charatans I did last week
*BEFORE*


















*AFTER*




































Duke


----------



## SmoknTaz

Nice work guys, keep them coming :tu


----------



## SammyBirdland

Peterson's System Standard 314

I haven't decided if I'm "finished" yet, but here's what I've done so far:


sanded, polished, and waxed the briar
polished the silver ring
restored the stem
reamed the tobacco chamber. found some light cracks, so I'm repairing it with ash/honey (in progress)
*Before:*




































*After: *


----------



## Mister Moo

Ebay-purchased Celius root before...










and after...










A little spit and some paper towels can do a lot. Ptui. Buff-buff. Puff-puff.


----------



## cp478

Nice pipe there Moo!


----------



## Jack Straw

OK, this Peterson System Deluxe 9s came in the mail today. It honestly wasn't in terrible condition because someone had apparently kept the stem in reasonable shape, although I had to step through 5 sizes of drill bits just to unclog the draught hole. Here are the before and after pictures. I still have to treat the inside of the bowl and shank, but it came out well I think! Also the silver band was loose so I am going to re-glue it. If you ever need to take off a lot of tar on the rim, just rub it off with spit on a microfiber cloth instead of the usual paper towel. Works wonders!

Before:









After:









Before:









After:


----------



## indigosmoke

Wow, Andrew...great restoration. She's a beauty and you scooped her up at a great price. Enjoy!


----------



## Jack Straw

Thanks John!


----------



## Mister Moo

Excellent reclaim! You have to be pleased with the results on that Pete. 

I would normally order you a tin of some Unique SG FVF from the special 1/2oz. tin but the vendor is no longer offering it. Or anything, anymore. Darn. So, if you PM your addy I will award you a tin of something more conventional for the first reported "Diamonds From Coal" Pipe of 2011. Congratulations Mr. Jack Straw!


----------



## SmoknTaz

Nice work Andrew. The mix grain really stands out :tu


----------



## Jack Straw

Thanks guys! I am indeed very pleased with the results, can't wait to fire it up once I finish de-cavendishing it.


----------



## owaindav

Andrew, what a great job! And what a great deal! That birdseye grain is absolutely gorgeous!


----------



## mrsmitty

Before


----------



## mrsmitty

After

















As you can tell I rounded the edges off a little bit due to a gouge on top of the bowl. I re-stained and buffed the pipe, took about three hours, but I think it turned out pretty good. Oh, and I only paid $5 shipped for this beauty


----------



## Cpuless

That's an amazing difference! Great job bringing that beautiful pipe back from such a sorry state.


----------



## SmoknTaz

Cpuless said:


> That's an amazing difference! Great job bringing that beautiful pipe back from such a sorry state.


+1

Great work :tu


----------



## Mister Moo

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about. :tu


----------



## neonblackjack

That makes me REALLY want to do-over my estates. Some of them are a little rough. Amazing results!


----------



## Jack Straw

Very nice! The before pics made me cringe.


----------



## FiveStar

WOW! That Ben Wade looked like a goner for sure. Excelent resto!


----------



## mrsmitty

Thanks for the kind words guys.


----------



## shannensmall

Looking at that first pic, I thought eww! But wow you really turned it around. Well done!


----------



## freestoke

Wow. Some nice work there!


----------



## mrsmitty

This pipe was in horrible condition, and I didn't know what to do with it to be honest. Well after watching some video's on YouTube about how to rusticate a pipe I filed down a phillips screwdriver with my rotatory tool to get four pointed edges, and used it to twist the briar over-and-over. As you can see the black on the rustication is from me using a lighter to scorch the briar. I ordered some Fiebings black dye that I'm going to use to dye the rusticated part, after which I think this pipe will be a nice addition to my collection.

*BEFORE*


----------



## mrsmitty

AFTER:


----------



## User Name

In the second picture, the grain goes soo well with the rustication. Great Work!


----------



## Rock31

Very impressive work Joshua.


----------



## mrsmitty

Thanks for the kind words guys. I'm pretty happy with the outcome, I just can't wait to get my black dye in the mail.


----------



## Jivey

Your last 2 look fantastic! Is this something you do for resale or just a hobby? If you aren't doing this for money you should consider it!


----------



## Coffee-Cup

Dang-it Josh!:der: "Phoenix From The Ashes"; Outstanding!:banana:


----------



## Mister Moo

Well done! Great save. :cheer2::cheer2:


----------



## Firedawg

very impressed! Makes ya feel good doing something like that I bet.


----------



## shannensmall

That thing sure looked like a lost cause, great work man!


----------



## Jack Straw

Very nice!


----------



## donovanrichardson

I just got done reading through this entire thread and all I can say is wow! Some absolutely phenomenal turn-arounds on these pipes, they come out absoltuely gorgeous and just really sharp looking.

I would really like to get in on this restoring pipes and I have a few questions if someone can help me out.

First, I know most of these are ebay acquisitions, what do you search on ebay to find around a $20 pipe. I'm not too interested in a brand name right now, I would just like to get a could around that price point to start on.

Second, I've seen some people using gritty toothpaste on the stems. Any recommendations on a specific brand or place to purchase to polish them up? I have access to quite a few auto parts stores and I quite a range of sandpapers in my guitar finishing supplies. Also, for any of you who haven't seen these, you might be interested in these:
STEWMAC.COM : Micro-Mesh Soft Touch Finishing Pads

Third, I saw that some people use Murphy's Oil soap to wash down the outside of the bowl and then Olive Oil to bring a sheen to it? Does the Olive Oil provide any protection like wax would? Also, I've seen carnuba wax being used, does automotive carnuba wax work just fine on the bowl, assuming it's briar?

Thanks for the help in advance guys, I would really love to work on a couple pipes for sure! I think my biggest problem might be trying to actually FIND them on ebay!


----------



## CWL

Very nice mrsmitty! That pipe will always smoke sweet for you because you put so much into it!


----------



## CWL

donovanrichardson said:


> Second, I've seen some people using gritty toothpaste on the stems. Any recommendations on a specific brand or place to purchase to polish them up? I have access to quite a few auto parts stores and I quite a range of sandpapers in my guitar finishing supplies. Also, for any of you who haven't seen these, you might be interested in these:
> STEWMAC.COM : Micro-Mesh Soft Touch Finishing Pads
> 
> Third, I saw that some people use Murphy's Oil soap to wash down the outside of the bowl and then Olive Oil to bring a sheen to it? Does the Olive Oil provide any protection like wax would? Also, I've seen carnuba wax being used, does automotive carnuba wax work just fine on the bowl, assuming it's briar?
> 
> Thanks for the help in advance guys, I would really love to work on a couple pipes for sure! I think my biggest problem might be trying to actually FIND them on ebay!


I use those pads for the final pass, or in between staining, they work great, but you'll need to wash them out to keep them from clogging.

Automotive carnauba is OK, but only "OK" as it is suspended in other chemicals which I do not trust is good for wood. The hard carnauba that you buy in ****** and apply with a buffing wheel is much harder. When you put the hard carnauba on, it looks like a hard coat of shellac has been applied.


----------



## mrsmitty

Here's a pipe I just got in the mail today from eBay, a Savinelli Duca Carlo.

*BEFORE:*


----------



## mrsmitty

*AFTER:*


----------



## Nachman

mrsmitty said:


> *AFTER:*


How did you patch the crack and burnout that you put the rustication over?


----------



## mrsmitty

Nachman said:


> How did you patch the crack and burnout that you put the rustication over?


The crack didn't go all the way through the briar, nor was it as deep as it appeared. I simply rusticated over it. If would of patched it I would of used epoxy mixed with briar dust and a drop of dye for color.


----------



## freestoke

I think a quote from the inestimably great "The Pipe" belongs here. "The Pipe" would be a worthy read if you cared nothing for pipes -- Georges Herment is the Shakespeare of pipe writing.

*When Nature feigns death she stands more chance of surviving, since none perceives her. She makes no challenge to the pride of man, she clings to this challenge in the secrecy of her own heart. One would think less of drowning a dog than of throwing a pipe in the dustbin -- but then a dead dog cannot be awakened, but there will always be found men everywhere who will awaken a pipe.*


----------



## mrsmitty

I finally got my new dyes in and finished up my first rusticated pipe that I posted earlier.


----------



## Natedogg

Woah, that's definitely one of a kind! Really nice work!


----------



## Firedawg

Again some nice work there and inspiring!


----------



## Andrewdk

Hi all,

Looking for some advice, returning to the pipe after about 15 years, smoked a corn cob for a short period before I got hooked on cigs. Scored an estate from the UK, $12 aussie dollars with shipping. The photos look like the outside is ok, probably need some oil and polish, but how do I go about sanitizing, cleaning and sweetening. Can someone give me some step by step advice or point to an old thread on the subject?

Cheers


----------



## drastic_quench

Andrewdk said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Looking for some advice, returning to the pipe after about 15 years, smoked a corn cob for a short period before I got hooked on cigs. Scored an estate from the UK, $12 aussie dollars with shipping. The photos look like the outside is ok, probably need some oil and polish, but how do I go about sanitizing, cleaning and sweetening. Can someone give me some step by step advice or point to an old thread on the subject?
> 
> Cheers


---


IHT said:


> you might consider READING THE STICKIED TOPIC CALLED "FAQ". inside there are MANY different posts about cleaning/refurbishing estate pipes, WITH PHOTOS.
> 
> :wink:


----------



## mrsmitty

Well I just spent three hours restoring this beauty and watched Forest Gump for the first while restoring it as well lol.

*BEFORE:*


----------



## mrsmitty

*AFTER:*


----------



## gahdzila

I bought a lot of 5 pipes for around $40 shipped. Here's the first one I restored.

I don't have another churchwarden and I was anxious to smoke this one, and it didn't need much work at all, so I restored it first. Actually, restore is probably too strong a word....it really didn't need much. The stummel only needed to be cleaned of surface dirt and buffed with a soft cloth. There was practically no cake. It did smell, and there was some mold in the bowl, so I wiped out the bowl with an everclear soaked pipe cleaner and did a salt/everclear treatment.

I thought the stem only had surface oxidation, so I just did a toothpaste rub/polish first...but it had a little green tint to it underneath that. I didn't want to get too aggressive (for one, I hoped I wouldn't need to...for another, I really wanted to save the logo on the stem), so I decided to try a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. It worked fantastic...then toothpaste again, and followed that with a mineral oil rub and a little vaseline to shine it up for the pics.

The markings on the pipe are "Lorenzo", "Lectura", and "591 Italy". I couldn't find much info on it except that it's probably an inexpensive pipe in the $40-$50 range new.


----------



## karatekyle

Haven't seen this thread yet! I need to start posting some here.


----------



## mrsmitty

Beautiful job on the Lorenzo, Clifford.


----------



## TommyTree

The price of Lorenzos can vary a bit. I've seen them new in shops for $70, and those weren't churchwardens. I'd expect a churchwarden Lorenzo to go new for about $80. By the way, they're not bad smokers at all, either. Hope you enjoy that one.


----------



## gahdzila

Here's a Falcon I picked up on ebay for around $10.

Before:














































For the stem, I scrubbed it with Barkeepers Friend, polished it with Brasso, then toothpaste. And of course lots of Everclear soaked pipe cleaners as the pic above shows. On the mouthpiece, just an everclear wipe to clean/sanitize, and some toothpaste to polish it a bit. I didn't do a lot to the bowl. That nasty cake was very soft and flakey and scraped out easily with the spoon of a czech tool, leaving a nice hard very thin layer of smooth cake. I tried to do a salt everclear treatment but it didn't work out too well because I couldn't figure out a good way to plug the bottom of the bowl (any suggestions?). I ended up just basically wiping it out with an everclear soaked paper towel. I was skeptical and a little grossed out by the suggestion, but saliva and a rag and elbow grease worked fantastically to get the tar off the rim. I just cleaned the exterior of the bowl and hit it with some Paragon wax. On close inspection, it looks like whatever the bowl is finished with had developed some cracks in it that have filled with some kind of dirt....so it really needs a full strip and refinish with carnauba....I may do that in the future, but I've been too lazy thus far.

I'm not a photographer! And the shiny stem was hard to capture on my little point and shoot. The gleam of the stem is spot on in these pics...there are a couple of little dings but overall it looks great. I had trouble getting the lighting right - inside with the flash, the stem reflected too much, without the flash (first pic) the bowl looks duller than it actually is. The fourth pic (bowl closeup in my hand) is actually a little forgiving and makes the bowl look a little nicer than it actually does.

Inaugural smoke tonight!

Anyone know what the number 2 on the bottom means?


----------



## gahdzila

Oh, and to follow up my last one - the Lorenzo churchwarden smokes GREAT!!!


----------



## Hannibal

Well hopefully here in a few days I will be able to add something to this thread. I've gotten bit by the flebay estate pipe bug. So far I've won two auctions.....


----------



## szyzk

Hannibal said:


> Well hopefully here in a few days I will be able to add something to this thread. I've gotten bit by the flebay estate pipe bug. So far I've won two auctions.....


So you're the one bidding up all the pipes I want???

:lol:


----------



## Mister Moo

gahdzila said:


> Here's a Falcon I picked up on ebay for around $10.
> Anyone know what the number 2 on the bottom means?


Since it's cast I'd guess it's the mold or cavity number.


----------



## gahdzila

Mister Moo said:


> Since it's cast I'd guess it's the mold or cavity number.


Yeah, I'm guessing it's something like that. I was hoping it might carry something more significant than that, but I can't find anything on google about it. I doubt I'm the first person to wonder, so if it carried any significance I'm sure someone out there would have said something about it by now. The only info I can find about Falcon markings is that there are some stamped "made in England" and some stamped "Ireland" (and I can't find info on what years those were even).


----------



## Guest

I just finished my first attempt at pipe restoration, my 'before' pictures didn't turn out, but here are the fleabay auction pictures that show it pretty accurately. The stem was very completely and uniformly brown, I actually was not sure if it was just a brown stem. It cleaned up pretty nicely though!

Before:








After:


----------



## Pianoman178

Nice Aaron!!! That sure doesn't look like a $10 pipe!


----------



## TommyTree

Amazing work, Aaron. I may hit you up to restore some of mine. :biggrin:


----------



## Guest

TommyTree said:


> Amazing work, Aaron. I may hit you up to restore some of mine. :biggrin:


You know, I would actually be very happy to try my hand at restoring pipes for people on the forum. Not for money, just for the experience. I rather enjoyed it this afternoon


----------



## NarJar

Pale Horse said:


> my 'before' pictures didn't turn out, but here is the fleabay auction that has some pretty decent pictures of it before.


Just a thought, but...I'd recommend you visit the fleabay, click on the picture to enlarge it, and right-click each one and choose the Save As option. This would give you some decent before shots for your "portfolio" since yours didn't turn out. If you wait too long, the auction will no longer show up, and the before pictures will be forever gone.

Edit: Great job by the way! Looks great!


----------



## Guest

NarJar said:


> Just a thought, but...I'd recommend you visit the fleabay, click on the picture to enlarge it, and right-click each one and choose the Save As option. This would give you some decent before shots for your "portfolio" since yours didn't turn out. If you wait too long, the auction will no longer show up, and the before pictures will be forever gone.
> 
> Edit: Great job by the way! Looks great!


Thanks! Edited my original post to include the pictures. Right click saving was working, I actually had to take them from screen shots, but I'd like to keep the before pictures as references


----------



## gahdzila

Here's the next one from that lot of 5 pipes I got for $40 - a Sasieni 4 Dot. The stem was pretty yucky on this one, but the bowl was very clean. I don't think it has been smoked much. I worked the stem with Mr Clean Magic Eraser, followed by toothpaste and a lot of elbow grease, then a little mineral oil rub to shine it up. On the stummel, just a damp paper towel to clean off the surface dirt revealed a nice finish that I only helped out a bit with Halcyon II wax.

The flash in the before pics made the stummel look shinier than it actually was.

Before:



















After:





































I feel like I won the lottery with this pipe. I hope it smokes as good as it looks!


----------



## karatekyle

I bet it will, Clifford! I adore mine!


----------



## freestoke

Yowzah, Clifford! That's a honey of pipe and you did a super job with it! Just gorgimous. I love my Sasieni's and I'll bet you will too. Smoke it like you stole it! :lol:


----------



## Oldmso54

Damn you guys are impressive!!! Now I gotta start checking ebay? And then send them to Aaron for restoration? Good Lord what have you people done to me!!!!


----------



## Hannibal

Oldmso54 said:


> Damn you guys are impressive!!! Now I gotta start checking ebay? And then send them to Aaron for restoration? Good Lord what have you people done to me!!!!


The vicious cycle has now become full circle!! :lol:


----------



## Michigan_Moose

These pipes came from a shop in Flint, Michigan. I have a few myself. If you ever want to sell it... let me know 



Mister Moo said:


> At $21.00 this pipe came in a winner, $0.50 under my max bid. It looked like a stout, slightly clunky interpretation of the usually more subtle, streamlined zulu or yachtsman. I had it in my mind it would be a large bowl on a short pipe - something easy to drop in a pocket and not worry about as catatrophe. 30-minutes of 1500-2000 stem wet sanding and some wax/buffing of briar cleaned it up nicely. The airhole is dead center and right on the bottom of the bowl; stem is umarred, stout, tenon snug in the mortise. All it took was a good cleaning to really let the fills shine.


----------



## freestoke

Just a note about Magic Eraser. This is merely melamine foam, a sound insulating material that only relatively recently was discovered to work as a fine abrasive. People who market it attached to a sponge, like 3M, are really gouging. You can definitely do better, for example, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HZWYNY...e=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B005HZWYNY


----------



## Mister Moo

Michigan_Moose said:


> These pipes came from a shop in Flint, Michigan. I have a few myself. If you ever want to sell it... let me know


It really was an excellent find. Love this guy.


----------



## Guest

Here are pipe restoration projects 2 and 3 for me.

#2 A Calabresi, I sold it to a brother who needed a new pipe and I'm sending it to it's new home tomorrow! I don't have any before pictures, but the finish was extremely faded over about half of the pipe.




#3 A Master Craft that was very neglected, the finish was super dark where the bowl would be held and the rim of the bowl was very dark.

Before




After


----------



## NarJar

Great job Aaron! I love the look of that Calabresi, and love that you sent it to another BOTL, very admirable!


----------



## Guest

NarJar said:


> Great job Aaron! I love the look of that Calabresi, and love that you sent it to another BOTL, very admirable!


Thanks man! I sold it to a brother at cost and I'm sending it out tomorrow. I really like fixing up estate pipes, but I'm not going to make a profit off a brother. It's a great pipe, just doesn't feel right in my hands


----------



## gahdzila

I felt like I hit the lottery when I snagged this pipe. This is another one from that $40 lot of 5, and it is a Peterson Sherlock Holmes Original. I forgot to take before pics...besides the band being badly tarnished, it initially looked like it didn't need much. I did the usual everclear/salt treatment, and lots of everclear soaked pipe cleaners. I polished the silver band with silver polish (just the normal stuff from the grocery store for silver forks and knives), did the usual Mr Clean Magic Eraser followed by toothpaste to the stem. The stummel I just cleaned with a damp cloth and hit with Paragon wax. The stummel could use a full strip and refinish, as it didn't come out as even and shiny as I would like and there are a few little bumps and bruises, but considering my newbiness to pipe restoration and the value of this pipe, I wasn't ready to go that far quite yet. And it certainly doesn't look bad at all as it is now.

I still can't take photos worth a flip. I snapped about a dozen and these are the only two that came out worthwhile, and I'm still not happy with them. Nonetheless, here goes:


----------



## freestoke

It's a beaut, Clifford! :tu Any idea about the age?


----------



## Magnificent_Bastard

I. Love. This. Thread! ipe:


----------



## gahdzila

freestoke said:


> It's a beaut, Clifford! :tu Any idea about the age?


Thanks, Jim. Pipedia says this line was originally released in 1987, but a few retailers still have them, and they're still on Peterson's website, so I assume they are still being produced. I bought them from Goodwill auction, so no info from the seller. I don't remember there being any date clues marked on the pipe, but I'll look again when I get home tonight.

It's BIG! I filled it with PA last night and smoked almost 2 hours! It smoked kinda hot and wet, but that was my fault - I really should have let it rest for a few days after cleaning it, but I was anxious to try it out! I think it will smoke better after it rests.

To follow up my last one, that 4 dot smokes like a DREAM!!!!!


----------



## VanguArd

How would i go about acquiring one of these, "Estate Pipes?"


----------



## quo155

Beautiful...awesome...dedicated...WORK! Great job guys...from the past to the now!

I really enjoyed looking through this old thread...thanks for pulling it up from it's grave!

I have several pipes that I hope to have the time to do this to...someday!


----------



## RupturedDuck

VanguArd said:


> How would i go about acquiring one of these, "Estate Pipes?"


Get an account on eBay, and hop to! There are a ton of them in every shape/size/age/condition imaginable!

You can do a lot with just some Isopropyl Alcohol (there are much better types of alcohol to use...although harder to come by for us Utahns), a little sandpaper, toothpaste, some shoe polish, an old T-shirt and a pile of pipe cleaners. But like most things pipe oriented...this can be a slippery slope. You will find a Pipe reamer a nice tool to have. An alcohol lamp and a retort with some surgical tubing, beeswax, buffing wheel....

RD


----------



## VanguArd

Those are a lot of tools i will have to acquire over time. my budget is very VERY limited at the moment lol


----------



## Mister Moo

VanguArd said:


> Those are a lot of tools i will have to acquire over time. my budget is very VERY limited at the moment lol


Get a sampler set of Micro Mesh abrasive cloth (1500 - 12000), some Everclear and some cotton balls. You are POOF! in the restoration business once you buy a box of beat up pipes.


----------



## BigKev77

Hey Blake this can be a hobby easy on the pocket book or you can dump thousands into it. You just have to pace yourself. Hope you find a job soon so you can decide how deep into it you want to slide. I am out of work too so I feel your pain. Luckily I have a pretty solid cellar to keep me smoking.


----------



## FiveStar

Mister Moo said:


> Get a sampler set of Micro Mesh abrasive cloth (1500 - 12000), some Everclear and some cotton balls. You are POOF! in the restoration business once you buy a box of beat up pipes.





BigKev77 said:


> Hey Blake this can be a hobby easy on the pocket book or you can dump thousands into it. You just have to pace yourself. Hope you find a job soon so you can decide how deep into it you want to slide. I am out of work too so I feel your pain. Luckily I have a pretty solid cellar to keep me smoking.


Yes and YES! When I started with the pipe thang, I went from cobs to brand new pipes. Didn't seem sustainable as far as money was concerned. Then I started picking up estates for under 20 bucks and spit shining them back to life. It doesn't take much of an investment to get a great smoke. Some of the pipes I've paid next to nothing for smoke as good as ones I've paid out the nose for.

Now go scrounging at yer local thrift stores and antique shops!


----------



## VanguArd

Haha! I'll have to get out there and find more cheap stuff eh? I'll definitely do this.


----------



## Ronjohn

Very nice.


----------



## Coffee-Cup

Mister Moo said:


> Get a sampler set of Micro Mesh abrasive cloth (1500 - 12000), some Everclear and some cotton balls. You are POOF! in the restoration business once you buy a box of beat up pipes.


Mr. Moo! You are so correct about the old pipes.:nod: I recently picked up a dozen, did a salt and alcohol treatment, reamed the bowls, cleaned and disinfected the stems, but I have not done any buffing as yet.ipe: Even though the job is not complete as yet I tried several of these old pipes and the tobacco flavor is amazing. The briar on some of these old pipes yields some delicious flavors.:ranger:


----------



## Mister Moo

Coffee-Cup said:


> I have not done any buffing as yet.ipe: Even though the job is not complete...


Congrats on saving some good smokers (and your screen name). Buffing with power is overrated and, besides, big cheap buffers are risky and suitably slow buffers are either costly or purpose-built on an existing lathe or drill press. No shop - why bother? I'm not knocking a great polish and fine workmanship but jus' sayin', think twice before getting past a hand-buff.

While I have a great buffer and sometimes wax/shine my pipes with carnauba, we all know that shine is fleeting. Most brilliant shines last just long enough to sell a pipe and then.... pfffffft. Neither does buffing bring a lot to rusticated pipes, nor does lucite need it. And vulcanite shines brilliantly with MicroMesh + a fraction of a drop of olive oil. A little hand-fluffing with Halcyon or Brebbia PipeWipe is pretty good and lasts nearly as long as a hard wax shine.


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## quo155

Great advice around here fellers!


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## Coffee-Cup

Mister Moo said:


> Congrats on saving some good smokers (and your screen name). Buffing with power is overrated and, besides, big cheap buffers are risky and suitably slow buffers are either costly or purpose-built on an existing lathe or drill press. No shop - why bother? I'm not knocking a great polish and fine workmanship but jus' sayin', think twice before getting past a hand-buff.
> 
> While I have a great buffer and sometimes wax/shine my pipes with carnauba, we all know that shine is fleeting. Most brilliant shines last just long enough to sell a pipe and then....  pfffffft. Neither does buffing bring a lot to rusticated pipes, nor does lucite need it. And vulcanite shines brilliantly with MicroMesh + a fraction of a drop of olive oil. A little hand-fluffing with Halcyon or Brebbia PipeWipe is pretty good and lasts nearly as long as a hard wax shine.


Wow! Mr. Moo. Your words are like a "cool breeze on a hot day".:wave: My pleasure has always come from the delicious flavors from the tobacco and not the appearance of the pipe, but after reading the BOTLs on Puff I felt that I needed to make the pipes look pretty; now I know better.:nod: Words cannot express how much enjoyment I am getting from my tobaccos; these gentle wisps of smoke exude such a delicate array of tastes and smells in these different shaped pipes.:yo: All that my pipes ask for is a little personal attention, we talk to each other; dang-it, sometimes we even sing together.:ranger:


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## Mister Moo

Coffee-Cup said:


> ...after reading the BOTLs on Puff I felt that I needed to make the pipes look pretty... All that my pipes ask for is a little personal attention...


I'm not saying don't keep pipes clean or polished up nice - just saying you don't need a workshop, carnauba and powertools to accomplish it. Yeah - they just need a little personal attention.


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## RupturedDuck

Coffee-Cup said:


> we talk to each other; dang-it, sometimes we even sing together.:ranger:


Nobody knows, how dry I am! :drinking:

 I'm just kidding Moe...I know exactly how you feel.

RD


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## android

cool thread and nice work everybody!


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## Coffee-Cup

Mister Moo said:


> I'm not saying don't keep pipes clean or polished up nice - just saying you don't need a workshop, carnauba and powertools to accomplish it. Yeah - they just need a little personal attention.


Mr. Moo, I did understand you correctly and I do a lot of hand work on my pipes keeping them clean and hand buffed, but I was thinking of large buffing wheels, etc.:der: I have found that a drop or two of olive oil and some "elbow greese" goes a long way. I will be shopping for some "Micro Mesh" and some "Halcyon"; these products should make my job easier with better results.:yo:


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## Jack Straw

The Halcyon is wonderful Moe, particularly in keeping vulcanite from oxidizing (without going to all the trouble of carnauba).

Micro mesh works as well or better than anything done by hand. Tip: if you are doing a ton of hand sanding on fiddly objects like pipe stems, use a pink rubber pencil eraser as a sanding block. Your fingers will thank you.


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## Coffee-Cup

Jack Straw said:


> The Halcyon is wonderful Moe, particularly in keeping vulcanite from oxidizing (without going to all the trouble of carnauba).
> 
> Micro mesh works as well or better than anything done by hand. Tip: if you are doing a ton of hand sanding on fiddly objects like pipe stems, use a pink rubber pencil eraser as a sanding block. Your fingers will thank you.


Andrew! The rubber eraser is interesting; up until now I have been using "toothpaste".:der: Anything that will make this process less tedious will be most welcomed.:ranger:


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## gahdzila

Moe - I think Andrew meant if you are using sandpaper, to use one of those rectangular erasers to wrap your sandpaper around. Which sounds like a fantastic idea!










I've bought some sandpaper, but I've been too chicken to use it yet (besides being busy with other projects). Once you sand something off, you can't put it back.

Moe - toothpaste actually works great on vulcanite stems. Mr Clean Magic Erasers are a little more abrasive than toothpaste and work great, so I usually use them FIRST. THEN do the rubdown with toothpaste.


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## gahdzila

And here is a link to the waxes mentioned:

Paragon (for stems and smooth pipes, not for rusticated pipes): Paragon™ Wax for the Pipe (1 oz) - $7.00 : Fine Pipes International, A Venue for Collectors of Fine Smoking Pipes and Accessories

Halcyon (ok for rusticated pipes) - Halcyon II Wax - $5.00 : Fine Pipes International, A Venue for Collectors of Fine Smoking Pipes and Accessories


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## Coffee-Cup

gahdzila said:


> Moe - I think Andrew meant if you are using sandpaper, to use one of those rectangular erasers to wrap your sandpaper around. Which sounds like a fantastic idea!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've bought some sandpaper, but I've been too chicken to use it yet (besides being busy with other projects). Once you sand something off, you can't put it back.
> 
> Moe - toothpaste actually works great on vulcanite stems. Mr Clean Magic Erasers are a little more abrasive than toothpaste and work great, so I usually use them FIRST. THEN do the rubdown with toothpaste.


Clifford! Thanks for the clearification. When I researched "Halcyon" I got references to Halcyon dive gear and yarn fiber.:twitch: I did not know anything about "Paragon Wax":dunno: and the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers is just what I need; I like the idea of using the eraser first and finishing up with the toothpaste.:yo:


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## tomchuk

I just picked up my first estate pipe - a made in Denmark Stanwell 19 on eBay. It arrived with a pretty gnarly reaming job, a nasty sour smell, a very loose stem, a ton of scratches and pretty dull burl. On to my first restoration job...

To fix the loose stem, I heated the tenon over my gas stove for ~10 seconds then widened it by inserting a screwdriver into the tenon and applying gentle pressure in a circular motion; I then pressed the end of the tenon down on my marble counter top to ensure the face of the tenon was perfectly flat. It now fits perfectly.

After that, I let it sit for a couple of days with the salt and alcohol treatment (used a little Cognac I was drinking at the time). It sweetened right up, and there's no trace of the sourness.

Today, I ran through 5 sheets of polishing paper from 15 down to 1 micron over the entire pipe. I then gave everything a good polish with some diamantine powder (sub-micron diamond dust) loaded into a linen cloth, damp with a bit of orange oil. I finished the stem with some Polywatch (used to polish acrylic watch crystals). I've got some carnauba on the way, but the orange oil does a great job at shining up both the briar and the stem.

I ran some 600 grit paper through the bowl to smooth out some of the texture left by the overly aggressive reaming job.

Here's the before (eBay seller's picture):
i dot imgur dot com slash Bi0FX dot jpg

And the after:
i dot imgur dot com slash LHdNi dot jpg

Apologies for the lack of direct links, I'm still working my way up to 30 posts (after 4 years) :doh: I'd appreciate if someone would be so kind as to decipher the above "links" and post them in a reply.


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## gahdzila

Looks fantastic, Tom! here's your pics:

before:










after:


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## tomchuk

gahdzila said:


> Looks fantastic, Tom! here's your pics:


Many thanks!


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## Nachman

I always liked the 19. You did it up nicely.


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## GoJohnnyGo

I worked on my first estate pipe yesterday and am very pleased with the results. It's amazingly gratifying to smoke from a pipe that you've brought back to life. I've had a little anxiety in the past breaking in new pipes wondering to myself if they were worth the price. With an estate pipe it's opposite, just pride and a sense of thrifty achievement. I've yet to find something that adds more pleasure to my smoking experience.


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## Mister Moo

GoJohnnyGo said:


> I worked on my first estate pipe yesterday and am very pleased with the results. It's amazingly gratifying to smoke from a pipe that you've brought back to life. I've had a little anxiety in the past breaking in new pipes wondering to myself if they were worth the price. With an estate pipe it's opposite, just pride and a sense of thrifty achievement. I've yet to find something that adds more pleasure to my smoking experience.


too thrifty for a picture, mate?


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## Aquinas

I have a question. I have a few GBD pipes that I am restoring that have the clear stems. The draft hole in them is tobacco brown. It looks like a brown vein through the stem. I soaked them in bleach for a short time and ran some vodka soaked pipe cleaners through them and it didn't do much. What would be the best way to clean these airways up? Thanks.


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## Nachman

Aquinas said:


> I have a question. I have a few GBD pipes that I am restoring that have the clear stems. The draft hole in them is tobacco brown. It looks like a brown vein through the stem. I soaked them in bleach for a short time and ran some vodka soaked pipe cleaners through them and it didn't do much. What would be the best way to clean these airways up? Thanks.


As the old Stones song says, "Paint it Black".:smoke:


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## gahdzila

Aquinas said:


> I have a question. I have a few GBD pipes that I am restoring that have the clear stems. The draft hole in them is tobacco brown. It looks like a brown vein through the stem. I soaked them in bleach for a short time and ran some vodka soaked pipe cleaners through them and it didn't do much. What would be the best way to clean these airways up? Thanks.


Try to get Everclear if you can. Or whatever the highest proof stuff you can get your hands on.

I would soak a pipe cleaner in Everclear, and put the pipe cleaner in the stem, and let it sit for a while. 20 minutes, maybe? and see if that softens it. Follow that up with a bristle pipe cleaner.

I have no personal experience with clear stems, TBH...just tossing an idea out.


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## bigdaddychester

If you have a Harbor Freight store nearby, (NAPA may have them too) I got a set of nylon brushes that are used to clean out the nozzles of paint guns. Combine that with some Everclear and you will definitely get them cleaned up

9 Piece Tube/Pipe Nylon Brush Set

and / or

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece-airbrush-cleaning-brushes-68155.html


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## Magnificent_Bastard

bigdaddychester said:


> If you have a Harbor Freight store nearby, (NAPA may have them too) I got a set of nylon brushes that are used to clean out the nozzles of paint guns. Combine that with some Everclear and you will definitely get them cleaned up


Wow, thanks for posting that! And while HF stuff isn't known for its longevity, at that price, who cares?


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## Aquinas

Thanks for the info guys. I have tried a soaked pipe cleaner with vodka a few times, but had minimal results. Unfortunately I cannot get Everclear in WA. I will pick up a few of those brushes from Harbor Freight though.

Brian- One that Peterson I got from you in our pipe trade, what did you use on the nickel band? That really polished up nice.


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## bigdaddychester

I just taped off the wood and used a metal polish. I cant remember the name but it is pink, paste like consistency and it comes in a can. I just put a little on it, worked it over with a soft cloth, repeat over and over. I think it would have taken less time if I had used a buffing wheel but I didn't want to risk messing up the hallmarks.


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## Nachman

bigdaddychester said:


> I just taped off the wood and used a metal polish. I cant remember the name but it is pink, paste like consistency and it comes in a can. I just put a little on it, worked it over with a soft cloth, repeat over and over. I think it would have taken less time if I had used a buffing wheel but I didn't want to risk messing up the hallmarks.


Sounds like silver polish.


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## Jack Straw

Those clear stems are just going to turn brown again anyway. Also, I do remember reading somewhere that soaking lucite in alcohol can lead to crazing, although I'm sure it won't be an issue most of the time.


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## Coffee-Cup

Jack Straw said:


> Those clear stems are just going to turn brown again anyway. Also, I do remember reading somewhere that soaking lucite in alcohol can lead to crazing, although I'm sure it won't be an issue most of the time.


Dang-it Andrew! I was trying to figure out what you meant by "crazing" and fortunately I looked it up and found out that it was the formation of tiny cracks in the plastic.:scared: I am glad that you told me about this; I will definitely not do any soaking of my lucite stems in alcohol; I was definitely thinking of soaking them.:doh: I simply cannot list the beneficial info that I have gotten from you and others on this site.:ranger:


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## CJBianco

I love this thread! Here is my new (estate) Ben Wade Golden Walnut that I received in the mail today. The stem was pretty rough, but nothing five minutes at the kitchen sink with steel wool 0000 and a little Brebbia Stem Polish wouldn't fix! I'd say it was $55 well spent.

Christopher


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## loki993

Here what just came in 10 bucks+ shipping from ebay.























































A nice standard 13b. Its got a 4 hole stinger, but the Kaywoodie is on top. From what little I could find thats contradictory. Who cares though this things nice and I cant wait to see how it smokes.


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## CJBianco

I love Kaywoodies! I always think of them as the classic all-American pipe brand. (Kirstens too.) Is that the original pipe sock? It looks brand new! Congratulations, I'm sure you're going to love that smoke. =)

Christopher


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## loki993

CJBianco said:


> I love Kaywoodies! I always think of them as the classic all-American pipe brand. (Kirstens too.) Is that the original pipe sock? It looks brand new! Congratulations, I'm sure you're going to love that smoke. =)
> 
> Christopher


I have no idea. The seller was not a pipe seller, just general estate stuff I gathered. I'm sure she just took some pics and put it up as is not really knowing too much about it. I do know I just tore the snap area though, lol so I don't know Ill have to figure out how to fix that.

Yeah I really like it. I haven't even smoked it yet and its already my favorite, I love the shape.


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## Mister Moo

bump...

Nobody salvaging old pipes these days?


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## steinr1

I am! Didn't know about this thread; I normally post my "restorations" (usually just gentle clean-ups) on the ebay Acquisitions etc. thread. (But more specific is better...)

Here's a newly arrived "Before" with (hopefully) inappropriate support. I'll post the "After" when done.









Ropp Favory Straight Billard.


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## TTecheTTe

Mister Moo said:


> Get a sampler set of Micro Mesh abrasive cloth (1500 - 12000), some Everclear and some cotton balls. You are POOF! in the restoration business once you buy a box of beat up pipes.


As soon as I get my Micro Mesh, I will be - POOF! - in business! Guess I was along the right track with my first attempt, as I used an old manicure buffing block (must be a girl thing).

Thank you for linking this on "Ask a Pipe Guy," as I had not seen this thread.


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## steinr1

Ropp Favory Straight Billiard.

Date unknown. I believe '50s.

Re-work rim, remove dents and (very nearly) burn mark, reduce bite marks, ream, polish.

Favory is one of their top ranges but was varnished. I've had to remove the finish entirely, I just managed to retain the maker's marks; the lustre here is just the polished wood. No oil, no wax. Personally, I think it's an improvement on the original and the pipe is likely to perfom better. (Although the collector in me is most unsatisfied...)

Before:









After:





















Bit of a ropey picture, but battery is low so no second go...


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## Mister Moo

TTecheTTe said:


> ...Micro Mesh... ...I used an old manicure buffing block (must be a girl thing).


Same stuff, different backing. But, hey! If you like the pink foam block, stick with it. (No.  The block has just a bit to much stiffness in it for me; I could see where it might accidentally sand off sharp relief on briar, vulcanite, etc. Be careful with those pink blocks or emery boards.)

Works on almost anything. Took some scratches out of new car paint with MMesh. Following up with some tripoli and white diamonds (on the buffer) I started with MicroMesh to bring a stained, pitted razor back from the edge. Heh heh. Edge, get it? I would suppose you could also bevel, hone and strop a razor with MicroMesh. Here it is after MMesh - it was half-black when I started. Wish I'd taken a "before" picture. Straight razors... must be a guy thing.


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